Root canal therapy (endodontic therapy) is a technique used to save a diseased or damaged tooth. The alternative to a root canal would be an extraction or removal of the tooth. Treatment requires that the nerve inside the tooth be removed and replaced with a solid filling material that is resistant to infection.

A Dark Tooth

A dark-colored tooth in an adult usually indicates that the nerve of the tooth has become infected and the normal flow of blood in and out of the tooth has stopped.

Treatment

In most cases, the tooth will need a root canal. Sometimes the tooth will “die,” yet not need a root canal. To restore the tooth to its natural color, you might consider bonding, veneers, a crown, or single-tooth whitening, a procedure in which a whitening agent is placed inside the tooth after root canal treatment